Aquila

Aquila, a constellation visible from the Northern Hemisphere. The name means "eagle." The Great Rift of the Milky Way (a dark area in the bright band of stars) passes through Aquila. The rift is caused by dark nebulae (clouds of dust in space) that hide the stars behind them. The brightest star in Aquila is Altair, the 12th brightest star in the sky.